


Reconciliation

by gijane7702



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 03:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21421333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gijane7702/pseuds/gijane7702
Summary: Kathryn and Chakotay need to talk after a huge fight...post "Endgame"***Language...but fluffy***
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 10
Kudos: 82





	Reconciliation

Reconciliation 

A/N: I've never written where Kathryn and Chakotay don’t all but immediately live happily ever after...I’m going to try. 

Thanks for the plot bunny, Bizarra...course my little brain raised it to a whole nother level :-|

  
Janeway Family Farm

Just outside Bloomington, Indiana, Earth

20 May 2379

  
  


Gretchen Janeway puttered around in her kitchen putting the finishing touches on her oldest daughter’s birthday cake, her baby who had returned to her five months earlier after being lost so far from home for so long. The child who was currently upstairs in her childhood room, still sorting through the excess crates of her belongings from her quarters and Ready Room on  _ Voyager _ . Kathryn had removed most of the crates when she finally found her little bungalow in Marin City, just north of Starfleet Headquarters. But she returned faithfully to sort through the remaining crates stored in the attic. 

A loud thump followed by a string of curses had Gretchen shaking her head. Her daughter still might be the darling of the press corp, a Vice Admiral at Command, and one of the most decorated officers in Starfleet history, but the woman could swear like a drunken Klingon. Another thump, followed by more cursing finally had Gretchen call out, “Katie...is everything okay?” 

"Everything’s fine, Mom! Goddamned crate was heavy...what the hell is in it? And when did I manage to collect so much shit?!” Gretchen snorted at her language, knowing that she never cursed like that outside of family. It must have been difficult for her for the past seven years, not being able to let loose. 

Hearing Kathryn’s footfalls from overhead as she crossed the attic then came down the stairs, Gretchen walked over to the old-fashioned percolator (Kathryn was still refusing to drink replicated coffee) and flipped it on.

Admiral Janeway, the second named of that rank, entered the kitchen covered in a layer of dust while sniffing the air hopefully. “I will never get tired of that smell,” she said, hopping on one of the stools at the center island, and stared longingly at the machine while it warmed. “Hot fresh real coffee.”

Gretchen smirked. “There was not one fresh coffee substitute in the  _ entire _ Delta Quadrant?” 

“Neelix tried a few. He had this one that had the consistency of tar...I made Chakotay try it first. He said it was god awful; and he takes his coffee with milk and sugar.” Kathryn made a face. “He learned real quick to not only keep me caffeinated, but not to offer me anything but replicated…rationing be damned."

Gretchen held her breath at her daughter’s mention of her first officer. Tension had started running high between them after Kathryn had accidentally found out before they had made Earth orbit about him and Seven through ship's gossip  _ instead _ of from him . They had barely been civil towards one another during debriefings and all the celebration hoopla surrounding their return, though they put on a good show for the press corp.

It had finally boiled over to an all-out shouting match at the promotion ceremony. Their new pips had barely cooled on their uniform collars when all hell broke loose. No one was quite sure what set them off, but they at least went off to an adjoining empty room. Unfortunately, they had been so loud that everyone had heard them anyway. Their crew had been devastated when Chakotay had stormed off in one direction and Kathryn in another. Neither had been in the same room as the other at the same time since. That had been two months ago.

Kathryn caught the look on her mother’s face. “I know...I said his name.” 

“You miss him.” It was a statement, not a question. 

“I do...immensely. He was my sounding board...my confidant...my best friend. Chakotay would have advised me not to send the  _ Enterprise _ to Romulus. He would have smelled the trap a mile away." Kathryn dropped her head onto the island’s wood top. "What a fucking disaster that turned out to be.” 

“You and no one else at Command could have predicted what would happen. You have to stop blaming yourself...stop second guessing yourself...those are the hardest lessons you’ll have to learn in your new position.” Gretchen, the admiral’s wife, advised. She took two mugs from the cabinet and poured them both a cup of coffee. “Now..drink your coffee then get upstairs and shower. Your guests will be here in a few hours. Are Tom and B’Elanna bringing the baby?”

"No,” Kathryn said, sipping her coffee, savoring it. “It’s date night for them. If you can call a birthday dinner at your former CO’s mother’s house a date.” 

Gretchen snorted. “Any night without your newborn is date night.” 

Kathryn smiled slightly. So true. After getting her hand smacked for sampling the cake frosting, they chatted until she drained her coffee mug. Hopping down off her stool, Kathryn placed her mug in the recycler and headed out of the kitchen to go prepare. 

When Gretchen heard her footfalls on the stairs, above her head, then the shower turn on, she hurried down the corridor to her late husband’s office. She knew what she had to do...she just hoped they both forgave her if anything went wrong. 

~O~O~O~O~O~

As the sun set, Kathryn was waiting on the front steps of the porch for her guests to beam in. Wrapped in a throw to stave off the growing chill of the May night, she jumped up at the sound of the transporter beam. “Hello!” she called, running down the steps and along the path to the front gate. There she paused as she took in the number of figures that had just materialized. Seven. She was only expecting six for dinner: Tom and B’Elanna. Tuvok and T’Pel. Harry. The Doctor. 

Seven of Nine was off-world and had sent a present via messenger earlier in the afternoon. As for Chakotay...well, she knew that would never happen; not after the things they had said to each other at the promotion ceremony.

Kathryn sucked in a breath as she realized that the seventh person was indeed her former best friend. He stood silently behind the rest, just staring at her. The air crackled with tension. Neither spoke.

Finally, Tom said nervously, “Happy birthday! Yay for us, no baby!”

“Oh...for fucks sake, Tom,” B’Elanna growled. Harry snorted with laughter. The Doctor rolled his eyes. Tuvok and T’Pel exchanged Vulcan Looks. 

Chakotay remained silent. 

The screen door creaked open. Stepping out onto the porch, Gretchen called, “Why doesn’t everyone come inside? It’s getting chilly out here. I have a fire going and some fresh coffee and tea made. Not you two,” she added to her daughter and Chakotay.

Kathryn opened the gate and as they walked by, each offered her glances of reassurance. Tuvok, at the end of the line, paused. Looking at his former commanding officer and very old friend, he said to her, “You and Captain Chakotay need to talk. We will wait dinner for you.” 

“Was this you, Tuvok?” Kathryn asked in a low voice. He remained silent as he walked past and up to the house. 

“It was me, Katie,” Gretchen called from the front door. “You both need to tell each other what you’ve told me. Don’t come home until then.” After Tuvok had entered, she gave them both a Look, then slammed the front door.

Kathryn pulled her throw tighter. Chakotay hadn’t moved from the spot where he had materialized. And he hadn’t said a word yet, but he was still staring at her. 

Finally she simply said, “Hello, Chakotay.”

"Hello, Kathryn” he replied in a low voice. 

She could feel five pairs of eyes watching them from the house (Tuvok and T’Pel would never, but her mother would join the others). Jerking her head back slightly knowing he’d understand, she said, “Let’s go for a walk down the lane.”

Chakotay nodded. She opened the gate and stepped out. Walking up to him, he handed her a small box and a PADD. "Happy birthday.”

"Thank you," she replied. As she took it, their hands brushed. The tension immediately turned sexual and ratcheted up. He drew a shaky breath in, so she knew he felt it as well. “Some things never change,” Kathryn said lightly and he smiled softly. They started down the lane, remaining in silence until they were out of sight from the house. 

Finally, Kathryn said, "Sooooooo...”

“I’m afraid.”

She stopped short. Her big strong warrior, her rock, was afraid. “Of what?”

Chakotay stopped walking. Turning back to her, he said, “Last time we saw each other… I hurt you. I did the one thing I swore I’d  _ never _ do. I'm afraid I'll do it again. I don’t want to do it again. ”

"Oh… Chakotay,” she sobbed, holding out her arms.

He ran to her and pulled her into a hug. They stood holding each other, both crying. Eventually, she turned her face from his chest, “We both said some awful stuff.”

“I’m so sorry,” he told her, kissing the top of her head. “For it all… not telling you about Seven, what I said, how I behaved during debriefings and since then… for all of it.”

Kathryn sobbed, hugging him even closer. “I’m sorry too. For it all. I’ve missed you so much.” Chakotay ran his hands up and down her back. Kathryn buried her face back in his chest. “I’ve missed my best friend,” she said all muffled. 

“I’ve missed mine too. We’ve been through too much shit together for us to be at odds with one another.” When she giggled, he asked, “What’s so funny?”

“You never swear! It’s funny when you do.”

“I learned from the best.”

Kathryn started laughing. “I will never forget the look on your face when you heard me cursing for the first time.” She snorted. “It was classic!”

“You were this proper Starfleet captain. The words coming out of  _ your _ mouth shocked even  _ me _ .”

Kathryn was now crying because she was laughing so hard. Chakotay was the only thing keeping her standing up. “We had some good times on  _ Voyager _ . It didn’t all suck.”

"We had some great times on _ Voyager _ ," he agreed. "I miss those times...don’t miss the Delta Quadrant. I miss our family.” 

“We hurt our family,” she whispered, sobering. 

She pulled back from his chest and looked up at him. He reached down and with his jacket sleeve wiped her tears away. 

"We did. Naomi actually growled at me when I saw her last week. She's totally Camp Captain... most of them are."

"At least you have Seven…"

"I  _ had _ Seven. She broke up with me…"

"Oh… I hadn't heard."

"Apparently hearing her name come up quite a bit during our fight clued her into a lot of stuff that we never got around to discussing before we started seeing each other."

"Ohhh…"

"She's been off-world a lot for that reason." Kathryn cursed softly. "Seven figures out of sight, out of mind…"

"I hope the crew didn't blame her. It was our faults…"

She went to say more, but fat raindrops started falling gently at first. They quickly picked up their pace. Kathryn grabbed Chakotay's hand and pulled him towards a small shed set just off the side of the lane by the entrance to the farm. The door stuck so he had to ram it open with his shoulder. She had just made it inside and he slammed the door when the rain started coming down in sheets.

"Computer, lights," Kathryn ordered, putting her present and PADD down, but they didn't turn on. She touched Chakotay on the sleeve to get his attention. "There should be an emergency light on the shelf on your left. And a small space heater on your right."

As he fumbled around, she removed the throw around her shoulders and shook the dampness off. The emergency light flared on, quickly followed by the space heater. 

"Tool storage shed," Chakotay said, looking around. 

"Mom hires some local guys to remove snow, mow the grass, tend the gardens… they keep their stuff here by the gate so they don't bother her. Lights probably aren't activated since they come during the day."

He pulled out a rusty stool from underneath the workbench and offered it to her. She indicated he should sit then hopped up on the workbench top instead. They sat looking at each other for a while before Kathryn reached over and brushed the rain out is hair, saying softly, "I've missed you so much."

Chakotay took her hand, turned it, dried it off on his jacket, and kissed her palm. "I've missed you too." She went to say something else, but he cut her off. " We'll deal with Seven and the crew when she gets back. We're both sorry. Let's leave that argument in the past and move forward."

She smiled. "How well you know me."

Chakotay turned on his full-dimpled grin. The one that always left her a little breathless. "It was my job to anticipate anything you needed to lessen your burden. After seven years, I got pretty good at it… if I do say so myself."

Kathryn laughed. "You excelled at it. How are your cadets? The buzz around Command is that your class was so popular that there was a waiting list for it." 

"There was...I'm teaching an overbooked class." He blushed. "The class for next term already has a waiting list as well." 

"Chakotay, that's wonderful! You need an assistant or another professor."

"I'm trying to convince Tuvok to join me. T'Pel thinks it'll be good for him. Well, you know. That's not what she said, but what I figured out after I translated the Vulcan nuances." Kathryn snorted. "How's Command?" When she rolled her eyes, he said, "That good, huh?"

"So good I might ask for a transfer to the Academy. I'm starting to think I'd rather deal with cadets than admirals."

"Says the  _ admiral… _ " Chakotay paused, then said, "If you transfer, you'll be in my direct chain of command again."

The sexual tension in the room, which had simmered, heated back up again. They had danced around this subject for years. Though he had served longer in Starfleet, she would always outrank him. On  _ Voyager _ nothing could have happened because she was his superior officer . 

"And you don't want me in your direct line of authority," Kathryn said quietly. 

Chakotay looked her square in the eye. "Not again." Knowing she needed time to process what he was implying, he reached over by the door where she had set the box and the PADD. Grabbing them Chakotay handed them to her with a soft, "Here. Open it."

Kathryn grinned as she ripped off the brightly colored wrapping paper. Underneath she found a carved box and knew instinctively that he had whittled it. Inside the box she found a silver pocket watch. 

"The PADD explains the whole story behind the watch. I think you'll appreciate it."

"It's beautiful, Chakotay. It'll look wonderful on my belt. Perhaps I can get places actually on time with it."

He snorted. "I doubt it."

"You're absolutely right," she laughed. "You carved the box?"

"Yes."

"When did you have time to do all that in a few hours?" 

Chakotay blushed. Clearing his throat, he mumbled, "I actually did both a few years ago… but never had the courage to give them to you."

Kathryn cupped his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, bending down slightly and pecking a kiss on his cheek. She didn't move her face away.

They both hesitated as the tension increased even more. Finally, Chakotay turned his head slightly and brushed a kiss over her lips. Both jumped as if shocked by electricity. 

"Oh my…" Kathryn breathed.

"I know," he said, blowing out a breath. 

She turned her head towards him again. "Kiss me," she whispered. 

He didn't need any more encouragement. He stood, tilted her chin upwards, then he brushed her lips again. She pressed back. He nipped her bottom lip and she opened her mouth. Chakotay kissed her lovingly, tenderly. Kathryn clung to him. 

A boom of thunder made them jump, breaking the kiss. He stayed standing in her space and she just inhaled his scent. Finally Kathryn whispered, "That was seven years in the making…" 

Chakotay grunted his agreement. Nudging her nose, he leaned down and kissed her again. She immediately opened up to him. This kiss was more passionate. Kathryn wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer until her breasts were crushed against his chest. 

They kissed for a long time until he wound it down. Pecking a kiss on her nose, he said, " _ That _ was seven years in the making." He didn't step out of her space.

Kathryn leaned her head against his chest. "All I wanted from this is to get my best friend back. This is so much better." 

Tilting her chin up, Chakotay looked her in the eye and said, “I feel complete again. And if we weren't in some tool shed at your mother's house, I'd be more than kissing you right now." He grinned at her blush. “We need to take this slow though-”

“Seven years wasn’t slow enough for you,” she deadpanned, giving him one of her looks. 

His lips twitched trying not to smile. “You do have a point-” 

“I love you,” she told him. “I have for years.”

Chakotay’s eyes widened. “Kathryn…” he whispered. 

She looked up at the roof, cocking her head to listen. “The rain’s stopped. Let’s make a dash for the house...I’m starving!” 

Before he could stop her, she hopped down off the workbench, gathered up her presents, and ran out the door. He grabbed the throw she wrapped herself up in, shut off the light and space heater, then chased after her, calling her name. 

Right before Kathryn reached the gate he caught her arm, stopping her. “Wait!” he commanded. She cocked an eyebrow at his tone, but remained silent. “Did you just tell me that you loved me?” he asked, gentler.

She didn’t answer right away. Eventually she replied simply, “Yes.” 

“Why’d you run off?” At her shoulder shrug, he continued, “I didn’t get to tell you that I love you as well.” Her blue eyes grew wide. “Sweetheart, I fell in love with you the minute you planted yourself between Tom and I, looked me dead in the eye, and told me to back down.” 

“Really?” she teased. “Right then and there… exactly.”

Chakotay shot her a dirty look. Before he could reply, movement at the windows caught his attention. “We have an audience again,” he told her.

Kathryn smirked. “Want to give them a show?”

“Absolutely,” he replied. “Nosy bastards.”

She giggled as she stood on tiptoe and met his lips halfway as he leaned downward. Their mouths met in a fierce kiss. She wrapped herself around him. He groaned and pulled her closer, molding her body to his. They were both lost in the moment until the sound of an opening window drew their attention. Breaking the kiss, they both looked towards the house and their mouths fell open in surprise.

“That is much more than we anticipated happening tonight,” Tuvok called to them. “But please come inside now. Mr Paris is claiming he’s ‘dying’ from hunger.” The Vulcan paused as Tom shouted something inaudible to them. “He said, and I quote, ‘about fucking time’.” Tuvok paused again, oblivious to his former command team gaping at him, then said, “I concur.” 


End file.
